1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a supply tray configured to receive and store a stack of recording mediums and to supply the recording mediums one-by-one to an image forming apparatus and, more particularly, to a supply tray having a plurality of tiers arranged one above the next, and an image forming apparatus for use therewith.
2. Description of Related Art
A known image forming apparatus, such as a printer, includes a recording medium storing portion for receiving and storing recording mediums, such as sheets of paper therein. The image forming apparatus is configured to feed a recording medium stored in the recording medium storing portion to a location at which an image is formed on the recording medium. The image forming apparatus may include a supply roller configured to feed a recording medium, which is stored in the recording medium storing portion, onto a feed path.
Such an image forming apparatus includes a guide plate for manual feeding, which is provided in an upper portion of the recording medium storing portion. The guide plate for manual feeding is disposed slidably in the upper portion of the recording medium storing portion and is configured to receive a stack of recording mediums.
For example, in the image forming apparatus including the recording medium storing portion, when the user only wants to form an image on a recording medium that requires manual feeding, the user places a recording medium on the guide plate for manual feeding, which is disposed in the upper portion of the recording medium storing portion, and slides the guide plate to an optimum position at which the supply roller may feed or take up the recording medium. According to such a structure, even when an image is formed on a recording medium which is different in size or type, or both, from that stored in the recording medium storing portion, there is no need to replace the recording medium in the recording medium storing portion. Thus, the user may save time and labor, and image formation may be efficiently performed.